Looks like green beans with bits of bacon, doesn't it?
Of course that is what they are, but it's the what else on this plate that makes these beans so tasty.
Bacon fat. . . cream. . . cider vinegar. . . a pinch of sugar. . . toasted almonds. . . there I go drooling on the keyboard again.
Mr CC and I had these last night by serendipitous means. He was going to cook dinner, I was working in my office. When I thought dinner should be ready, I wandered over to the house. No dinner. The zucchs were just being prepped for the grill, the green beans were still in the fridge. Hmpf.
Mr CC began cutting up the bacon then prepping the beans for the steamer. I poured a glass of wine and stood around watching him, nibbling on a piece of cracker to stave off hunger. The zucchini went on the grill. I sipped my wine. I asked if he would like some help.
Well, duh.
Now, I'm not saying that I pulled a rabbit out of my hat. I love it when my husband cooks and dinner would have been just fine had he gone ahead and finished it himself. But even he admits he would not have thought of a warm dressing for the beans, the way his grandmother would have made it. Or mine for that matter. Surely DNA played a significant part here. I mean, have I ever used bacon fat and cream in one recipe on this blog? No. I was channeling, pure and simple.
Go ahead. Treat yourself. Once in a great while. Don't overdo it - gotta be thinking about those arteries. The bacon fat and cream, I mean. Eat your green beans all season long, children. They don't have to be swimming in bacon fat to be good.
Christine's Warm Green Beans with Creamy Bacon Dressing
Ingredients:
1 pound haricot vert (slim French filet beans), organic and local if possible, home grown even better
4 slices really good bacon, such as Niman Ranch smoked applewood
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
pinch sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons organic heavy half 'n half
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon toasted, slivered almonds
Preparation:
Wash and pinch the stem ends from the green beans and steam them until tender crisp and bright green.
Stack the bacon slices one atop the other and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Cook in a hot skillet, stirring occasionally, until crisp but not burned. Do not let the pan get so hot that the bacon grease smokes.
Remove the bacon bits to a paper towel to drain and turn the heat under the pan to low.
Stir in the vinegar and scrape up any browned bacon bits from the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust with a pinch of sugar if needed.
Stir in the half 'n half, whisking until blended. Season to taste with kosher salt and back pepper if desired.
Put the greens into a large bowl and pour the dressing over them, tossing with tongs to distribute the dressing.
Using warm plates, put a pile of green beans on each plate, scooping up the dressing to drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with the bacon bits and toasted almonds.
Serve. Listen to the sounds of satisfaction emanating from the mouths of your loved ones.
Life is good.
Cook's Notes:
> Did you know that there is a plug of real cream at the top of the little glass bottles of Strauss Family Creamery's Half 'n Half? Yes there is. And boy was it good whisked into the bacon dressing.
> The beans in the far back box in the above photo are the haricot vert.
Copyright © 2005-2008, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved
Yum! Definitely channeling.
ReplyDelete*dabbing the drool off my face* This is so right on SO many levels.
ReplyDeleteWell, duh, I'm sure the wine helped the channeling and made it more healthy too! ;0))
ReplyDeleteThank you, friends. This is just the beginning of lots of green bean eating.
ReplyDelete